Joe's Character Creation House Rules For D
This is the character creation rules for my D&D 3.5 Monstrous Mercenaries Campaign. * You will each be designing an ECL 11 character but character creation is highly modified. LA's and templates are being treated as worth a level but with no hit dice attached. However, LA's are being granted bonuses in lieu of their "monster/giant/outsider/dragon/whatever" HD. * All D&D 3.5 books are open including the Magic Item Compendium, however, anything purchased from the MIC has an extra step of submitting to me anything purchased from there with what a similar/custom item would be valued per DMG1/DMG2 and MIC gold value; whatever is the highest is the final price. (As in, use the other books to design the item based on customization rules. Almost everything in the MIC is drastically too cheap.) * Starting wealth for ECL 10 characters is 49,000GP. *No single starting item can cost more than 12,250GP. Tiers This time around we are going to be working under the assumption that certain classes and PrC's are simply mechanically more powerful and useful than others. Classes range from Tier 1 (the best) to Tier 6 (the worst). PrC's range from +2 (Increasing the base character's power a lot) to -2 (Adding nothing to the base character and oftentimes hampering them). Because of this, character's will be designed with modified levels of power relative to the classes, prc's and race they are playing. Keep in mind multi-classing penalties are in effect. Choose a Tier: You must remain in this tier for the duration of the campaign so make sure you pick what and where you want to be before building to fit into that tier. This tier value can include base classes, PrC's, LA's and templates. You may mix and match parameters to average out your tier at character creation, however, from that point on you must stay exactly equal or lower (averaged over your class/prc levels) than your tier to add classes/prcs "above" your tier. (Confused yet? Good) Class Tiers Tier 1: Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Archivist, Artificer, Erudite Tier 2: Sorcerer, Favored Soul, Psion Tier 3: Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Crusader, Bard, Swordsage, Binder, Wildshape Variant Ranger, Duskblade, Factotum, Warblade, Psionic Warrior, Bonded Summoner. Tier4: Rogue, Barbarian, Warlock, Warmage, Scout, Ranger, Hexblade, Adept, Spellthief, Marshal, Fighter (Dungeoncrasher Variant, Zhentarum Variant) Tier5: Fighter (No variants), Monk, CA Ninja, Healer, Swashbuckler, Rokugan Ninja, Soulknife, Expert, OA Samurai, Paladin, Knight Tier6: CW Samurai, Aristocrat, Warrior, Commoner, LA Only * Anything Not Here: Such as unlisted class variants - typically increase the Tier by +1 because you normally don't trade out class features for other class features unless the trade is necessarily better. Case-By-Case on unlisted stuff, but it's almost all there. There is a big difference between full blown class variants and minor 1 time class options; ask if you are not sure. * PrC Tiers - Tier is modified by PrC strength or weakness represented by pluses and minuses from +2 to -2. Remember that first you must choose a tier for the character (Tier 1-6). Starting class does not have to be on that tier; your starting ECL 10 character, however, must be at that tier or below. You may take PrC's/modifiers to average out your tier. To stay in a tier with mixed levels/PrC levels you must be at or below the AVERAGE tier score of all your classes/PrC/LA's. Examples for illustration: Someone chooses Tier 3. They start with several levels of a Tier 2 class but handicap themselves with several more levels of a PrC valued at -1 bringing their overall value to 3 at ECL 10 (AKA Character creation). They must stay at 3 or less average tier before taking anything that would tip the tier balance, so after a couple more levels of a -1 prc, they could take a +1, +2 PrC or higher tier class to even them out. [[http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5198.0| The link for PrC values is here:]] Build Points/Bonuses Choosing a tier results in the following build points/bonuses. Tier 1: 24 Point Buy, 2 Automatic Flaws with No Bonuses Tier 2: 26 Point Buy, 1 Automatic Flaw with No Bonus Tier 3: 30 Point Buy, Choice of up to 2 Flaws for up to 2 Feats Tier 4: 32 Point Buy, 2 Flaw/2 Feat choices, or 2 Free Bonus Traits, One Additional Bonus Feat at 1st level Tier 5: 34 Point Buy, 2 Flaw/2 Feat Choices, or 2 Free Bonus Traits, One Additional Bonus Feat at 1st level, 2 Bonus Skill Points at each level Tier 6: 36 Point Buy, 2 Flaw/2 Feat Choices, or 2 Free Bonus Traits, One Additional Bonus Feat at each level, 2 Bonus Skill Points at each level LA Bonuses 0 LA: Lose 2 From your point buy value. Each +1 of LA add the following: 1 bonus skill point at creation, 2 Bonus Hit Points, Starting GP +1,000 Each +2 of LA: 1 Bonus Trait Each +3 of LA: 1 Bonus Feat Each +4 of LA: 2 Bonus Stat Points Each +5 of LA: 1 Additional Bonus Feat Over +5 LA: Probably unplayable. We can work something out case by case and you are totally allowed to play a higher than +5LA race if it's workable. Remember, you would have an extremely small amount of HP and low saves. On Alignment: Alignment will be downplayed for the campaign unless it is a pre-requisite for the character's race/class/prc's/items etc. I.E. If you're playing a Blackguard or a cleric of a Lawful deity, you are bound to your alignment strictly, otherwise it will be down-played and used only for items/spells/etc. Super Rider Escape Clause: If a combination of races/classes/prc's/LA's seems too good to be true, they most likely are. Gentlemen's agreement is in effect; i.e. if you use it, be prepared for me to use it as well. Some of the LA races provided are not playable because they do not provide for how the LA breaks down or what some of their special abilities are based off of for DC/Caster Level/etc; be prepared for a veto OR a house-ruled version. If you slap on a million templates to your character, I am going to slap on a million templates to my bad guys. Besides that, anything non-infinite is pretty much allowable. I believe this concludes the character building section. I think it is beyond likely that you will have questions; that's fine. Additionally, all builds must be fully submitted before play. Category:Role Playing Campaigns Category:Dungeons & Dragons Category:House Rules